But which write better code? If space guys are Baby Metal and tab users Meshuggah this would leave thing inconclusive
Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
321–330 of 690 posts
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#322The reason I use tabs is pretty simple. It's faster to move around only using the keyboard. It's also faster if I'm changing code that requires reformatting. Finally, when another developer looks at the code, their IDE will render the tabs as whatever its set up for, 2 spaces, 4 spaces, etc. In other words, it adds flexibility. Brace yourself: I use two spaces after the end of sentences too. [1] I am quite the rebel.…
> Finally, when another developer looks at the code, their IDE will render the tabs as whatever its set up for, 2 spaces, 4 spaces, etc. In other words, it adds flexibility. This is exactly why I use tabs and the reason which appears to never get cited in the holy wars. People who use spaces want to line up their '=' signs, that's fine, but I don't believe it's my position to enforce the amount of whitespace another…
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Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#323Well, of course. Only companies with fuck-you money can afford the extra bytes spaces take up versus tabs, so it follows logically that they'd pay their developers more.
While your comment is obviously meant as a joke, it somehow rings true from my anecdotal experience. I'd also like to see an analysis of space-vs-tabs as it relates to operating systems. Again, from anecdotal experience, it seems spaces are more common for folks with *nix background who tend to work in product-oriented companies (i.e. where code is an asset) and tabs are more common with windows folks, who tend to wo…
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Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#324Sexy languages, like Python or Node, encourage the use of spaces.
Tabs are more often used in languages like C and C++ which are more traditional and pay less despite being more technical.
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#325Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, it can start some interesting conversations too - I don't care personally and tend to go with whatever autoformat in the editor uses. My view is that formatting code shouldn't be a human's job, adding linebreaks on long lines, spacing things out to exactly line up, etc is just a waste of my time. That's the computer's job - it should do it based on human readability rules though, clang-format is probably the be…
Wow, I am a spaces guy but honestly, didn't care this much. Clearly, I should! I mean, I would have failed that interview question totally. Except, I would have said whatever the team consensus was.
I would have mocked the person asking the question
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#326Well, of course. Only companies with fuck-you money can afford the extra bytes spaces take up versus tabs, so it follows logically that they'd pay their developers more.
While your comment is obviously meant as a joke, it somehow rings true from my anecdotal experience. I'd also like to see an analysis of space-vs-tabs as it relates to operating systems. Again, from anecdotal experience, it seems spaces are more common for folks with *nix background who tend to work in product-oriented companies (i.e. where code is an asset) and tabs are more common with windows folks, who tend to wo…
Hmmm...
I've mostly only ever worked in Windows environments with the odd linux machine here and there, but mostly Windows, I've worked in both I.T. and product-oriented shops. I've mostly favored spaces. I've never been questioned it or asked to do differently. Generally speaking, those that care about the money, don't give a fuck about whether I use tabs or spaces. I've worked in tight-ass shops that have nickeled and dimed for every cent savings and I've worked for shops flush with cash to pay developers to do it right.
In my actual experience, I've never seen any relation to tabs vs. spaces with regards to being paid more. Nobody that has ever paid me for what I do has cared about which I use, nor have they questioned it.
One thing I have noticed in programmers are an asset vs. programmers are a liability is that companies who understand that automation is going to extend their profitability by more of a margin than it costs them will pay you what you're worth. Those that view programming as a sunk cost, that just makes their lives easier or cuts costs will pay you what they can get away with.
Don't work for a company that views you as a cost centre. Work for a company that views you as a profit centre. The work will be more meaningful. You will be more fulfilled. You will most likely be less stressed and you will most certainly be appreciated and respected more.
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#327Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can't believe that in 2017 I'm reading comments containing blatant spacial prejudice on Hacker News of all places.
Hacker News should be a Safe Space.
As someone who uses Tabs, I vote that every location should be a Space Safe Space.
Let's all work hand in hand and follow the style guide! (Which requires the use of tabs, of course)
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#328Almost certainly a result of the spaces cabal and the (often unspoken of) prejudice against tab users. Don't think you make hiring decisions based on tabs vs spaces? Well you're part of the problem, then. I'm building an app to help you easily email your congressperson and ask them to create legislation requiring space/tab equality. This has to stop. Please consider donating to my Patreon.
> Don't think you make hiring decisions based on tabs vs spaces? I actually ask candidates "spaces or tabs?" in every single interview. I don't really care what the response is in regard to the holy war, and it doesn't mean anything on its own, but having SOME thought out response can be a GREAT indicator of how well versed someone is in general. e.g. I'm going to think way more highly of someone that says "tabs, bec…
> having SOME thought out response can be a GREAT indicator of how well versed someone is in general.
Did you cross-check this against any other measure? I can see it going both ways - maybe someone who saves their attention for more important matters would be better at producing value than someone who cares about such minutiae.
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#329Earlier quoted context omitted.
> when another developer looks at the code, their IDE will render the tabs as whatever its set up for, 2 spaces, 4 spaces, etc. This is an argument I hear often from tab proponents. What it misses out is the downside: my IDE has a certain arrangement on my screen, and I'll either have to invoke horizontal scrolling or I'll have a bunch of wasted space if you are using different size tabs from me. This is far from fle…
> I'll either have to invoke horizontal scrolling or I'll have a bunch of wasted space if you are using different size tabs from me. So change your tab size? That's true if you have a different sized monitor, no matter what the tab size. That's... kind of the point of using tabs. >I've come to the conclusion that the only sensible tab width is 8, since that works everywhere including in tools where it isn't practical…
> So change your tab size? That's true if you have a different sized monitor, no matter what the tab size. That's... kind of the point of using tabs.
I think that the point was that if your IDE displays tabs as 8 spaces, and you read code written by someone that sets their IDE to display tabs as 2 spaces, then the line lengths will display longer in your IDE.
It "just works" when the writer has configured longer tabs than the reader, but not necessarily in the opposite direction.
> Also, what do you mean "works"? The world doesn't explode if you view a file with a different tab size than it was created with. Again, kind of the point...
One example: enforced line-length limits. If you are wrapping at 80 characters with tabs set to 2-spaces, you will display a longer than 80 characters when viewing with tabs set to 8-spaces.
Re: Developers who use spaces make more money than those who use tabs
#330If one uses an editor which replaces tab key presses with spaces, is one using tabs or spaces or both?